It's not going to be easy, but it's gonna be worth it

Tuesday again and it was tuition day. However somehow I felt that the spirit and enthusiasm of the class was heightened judging from the class participation. They seemed more interested in the class and involved in the lesson. This is possibly due to 2 very simple questions that I asked at the start of the class.

The moment they stepped into the class, I asked each of them "Did your parents ask you to come for tuition or were you the one who wanted to come?" Second question "On a rating of 0 to 10, 0 being you don't give a shit about what is happening in the class, 10 being you really want to learn something out of the class, what would you give?"

Simple as it is, yet it had a deep impact on my teaching approach. In my opinion, undoubtedly I am paid to do my work as a tutor. As long as a student steps into my class, I have the duty to ensure work is delegated to him/her and I attend to his/her educational needs. However according to my own principles and understanding that they are already young adults who understand their own priorities, I will dedicate more of my energy and focus to those who are truly interested in learning. Should you be uninterested in learning, I will not expend extra energy on trying to ignite the passion of learning in you. Instead, I will use this energy to teach those who sincerely want to takeaway some things from my lesson. I am only 1 person, who have this amount of time and this amount of energy to teach the class, which has that many people and that much amount of work which needs to be cleared. 

Thankfully, even though there were a few tutees who were sort of forced by parents to come, all the students rated their passion to learn in class as a 5 and above, even up to 9 and 10. This was heartening for me as I could see their passion in learning evidently displayed in the lesson after the questions. It was quite late of me to ask this question given that I am only left with 1 lesson with them but I hope they maintain that passion in learning and hopefully this will motivate them to work harder:) 1 student even told me that he passed his recent Maths test and I was really happy when I saw the broad and proud smile on his face:) Such joys and sense of accomplishment in life is what makes me feel like it's all worth it and makes me want to improve more so that I can make an improvement in their educational paths. 

Credits: http://www.iliketoquote.com/img/35.jpg

10SH23:)

Although attendance was quite poor, I'm grateful for this timely meet up as we managed to catch my fellow QY before she flies back to her land of chillness:P

I can see our class dynamic improving, with all of us being able to talk about a single topic and having similar frequency:) It's so different from last time when we all talked about different things and having totally different wavelengths. Really grateful to have this bunch of nonsense peeps who made jc life bearable:) At least a happy funny end to a shag day:)

Time flies. It's already 2 years since we graduated from njc. May our friendship stay strong and cheers to more fun filled catching up sessions in future! ^^

A happy sister:)

Brother returned with this cute bucket of cookies for me^^ A sweet (or rather, salty) treat that totally cheered up my day and pushed me on for the long night of work:)

Really grateful to have such sweet and random funny brother who makes my day:)

On a side note,  I'm finally done with the designing of IBG poster! After much complaints and frustration, it's finally done even though it's super cui and 100 x away from what we wanted. Time for a short rest before moving on to marking of my students' papers in the morning!

Good nite world:)

NDP 2014 Preview

Lucky few who got to watch NDP 2014 preview:)

Lucky girl thanks to my brother:)

Funky coloured fun pack^^

Red lions

Pretty night neon colours

The happy girl with her beloved fun pack

My favorite part was the red lions and contingent parade (yes, I know I'm weird because fireworks is not my top choice). Especially when I heard the inclusion of 1 female in the red lions, I felt really proud of her and I applaud her for her determination, given that the route to being a red lion must have been a tough one. The contingent parade was an impressive performance, as usual. Some people might say it is boring to see all the marching but I strongly beg to differ. This huge number of army have taken months of hard work, shedding lots of sweat under hours of hot sun to showcase this high level of neatness in line-ups. I am really proud to see them marching in, knowing that these guys undergo 2 years of hardship to give us safe and security:) Thank you guys (and girls) for contributing so much to the country:) Really reignited my passion to join as DXO once again:P

After hearing how much frustration my brother underwent in organizing the parade, I felt really heart wrenching. How he had to withstand the busy schedule, the hunger pangs, the irritating side-tasks. I really want to help him badly but there's nothing I can do, except being a good sister. Really praying hard that NDP will go well so that he can take a break:)

Special thanks to all the people involved in NDP, be it being a performer, or organizer, or marshals:) Y'all were great! Hope that NDP will be a great success:)

TGIF: Last day of internship

TGIF. After spending 20 days together, today marks the last day of our internship. Despite being a short 20 days internship with each day having only 6 effective hours spent together, it is amazing how we manage to bond so tightly together that we start talking with the same style and accent:P I'm really grateful for this bunch of crazy nonsensical buddies. Without them, I bet I'll just quit the job within the first 2 days because of some shit that happened. They are the best bunch of people to be around, always there to entertain me with their lame nonsense, funny shit and impromptu activities. I'll really miss you guys, can't wait to meet up with you guys soon^^

It is indeed tiring to handle two jobs at the same time, tutoring at night and interning in daytime. However I find it fulfilling and interning is never tiring because my fellow interns are my source of caffeine. They always keep my hyped up through the incessant gossiping sessions:P Shag max at the end of the day, but I find it a fulfilling day because teaching is a benevolent job, plus interning at a social enterprise really taught me useful business concepts.

Feeling the love from my beloved intern <3

 One bad thing is I am too occupied with my work. Mondays to Fridays internship. Tues to Thursdays I have tuition at night. That leaves me with no time and energy to meet up with friends, making me guilty to reject my friends' meetings:( Thankfully, I managed to meet this bunch of awesome friends on my last day of internship:) I love how we are always filled with enthusiasm and lots of exciting stories whenever we meet. Sorry if I was abit quiet and dao today cos I was drained from days of work:/ Wishing these 2 all the best in their stuffs and have a safe trip to wherever they're traveling to^^

My awesome crazy nonsense gang

"If it's not from the heart, it is not worth doing it" 

(credits to a social worker whom I worked under last time, Mr Jonathon Toh)

[RANDOM MUSINGS] Altruism

Had a talk with dad over afternoon tea and this was the topic of discussion. These are all my personal opinions. There are many ways of looking at this topic so don't feel offended if your views are different from mine:)
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Altruism: the desire and act of helping others without expecting anything in return. Has the connotation of selfless help. 

Is there really altruism today? This sparked off a huge debate against positive psychology since decades ago. Till now there is no clear cut answer.

Positive psychology states that people are naturally good-willed. When we see others in distress, it is of our human nature to extend a helping hand to these people. When we see an old lady fall down, it is because of our altruistic nature to step forward and help her up. However many people beg to differ. Is our intentions that simple? Do we really expect nothing in return when helping others? Some psychologists attribute it to the social nature of human beings. For instance, some people may help the old lady simply to gain the recognition and acceptance from other people, such as gaining the applause from the public who watch you helping the old lady. Some may help hoping to reap some benefits from the old lady. Some may help to make themselves feel less guilty by gaining good karma. In such cases, does that mean that altruism do not exist? This seems to point to the possibility that every "act of kindness" has a reciprocal connotation attached to it, whereby people do not help simply for the sake of helping, but rather, to gain something out of it. It is quite sad that human beings are framed in such a negative light, isn't it? Whatever happened to all the teachings of being kind-hearted and pure?

Prior to the start of my internship, I was briefly introduced to the concept of social entrepreneurship. Social enterprises refer to companies who operate with the intention of solving a social problem. Examples include 18 chefs which is a cafe revolving around the aim of giving ex-convicts a second chance by re-integrating them into the society. Another good example is NTUC Foodfare, which provides affordable meals for the working adults and elderly to alleviate the effects of inflation. I was truly inspired by such intentions where aspirations to make the society a better place overtakes money as the top priority in setting up a company. This sparked off my curiosity which prompted me to research more on social enterprises.

However one thing dawned on me. If you have the passion but no money, how do you go about setting up a company? Indeed, there is a wide range of government organizations and self-help groups providing professional advice and financial help to social enterprises locally. Despite so, maintaining a company is no easy feat and compounded by the volatile nature of the market, social enterprises are prone to failure. There is only this amount of money, this amount of resources, this amount of energy. How are you going to sustain if your company doesn't perform? Given that social enterprises are different from charity organizations in that they are business in nature, they are typically self-sustainable. This means that the revenue earned from productive economic activities are channelled towards covering costs and dedicated to the resolution of social problems. One thing to ponder, if your company is not money-oriented and you don't have enough money for your company, your physiological needs is not met. How then are you going to go about helping others when you can't help myself? Indeed, money is an important barrier to consider. Nonetheless, I truly applaud the efforts of such social enterprises as they are great platforms in offering aid to those who have fallen into the creaks of the society. As the famous quote goes, "a little effort goes a long way". "No act of helping, no matter how small, is wasted" - Aesop. What goes around comes around. Start small, and you'll be surprised how your act of kindness can go a long way, be it making someone's day or bringing about social changes.

Cheers to the efforts of this group of people who are truly passionate about being change-makers, who sincerely want to improve the lives of the society. We may not be as skilled in cooking as Mr Benny Se-Teo to set up a restaurant (18chefs) to provide employment opportunities to ex-convicts, but we can show our support and acceptance towards them. We may not have a big organization like NTUC to open up foodcourts to provide affordable food fares, but we can dedicate some of our time to volunteer. We may not have wealth like Martha Stewart to donate to provide food for thousands of children, but we can dedicate our time to volunteer to bring smiles to tens of children.

Credit: http://geniusquotes.net/kindness-is-like-coffee/

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*Disclaimer: This is based purely on my personal views and different people may have different views.
Despite the debates against positive psychology, I still believe there are people out there who genuinely help out of their good intentions. I truly salute these people. It is this group of people who make the society a warm and happy place to live in:)

Internship

Today's internship workplace is at NUS Business School! It is the 4th workplace I've went to for my internship so far:P Being the facilitator for Youth Enterpreneurship Symposium (YES), our company was in charge of the event. Not as well-organized as we expected, but we ended off on a high note:)

My lovely interns

As I reflected about today's event, I felt really grateful for landing in this internship. Indeed, there was alot of complaints about various aspects of the internship where I felt unjust, unhappy and angsty but I'm glad I have this crazy bunch of fun-loving people whom I can crap with. Without this bunch of people, I doubt I will be able to survive this internship. Suaning each other every few sentences, making fun of the guys, camwhoring sessions are all bits and pieces of the lovely memories we shared with each other. 1 month is a short period of time, but it's quite surprising how we manage to bond with each other within the 1st week of work. Thank you guys for being such great peeps. 12 more days of nonsense with each other:)

It is the people inside who make a company a company. 

Finding the Silver Lining amidst the Black Clouds

To be honest, I was quite unhappy and frustrated over my internship boss. Don't be mistaken, I love the job scope, working environment and I LOVE my fellow comrades. It's just some things which made me have a bad impression of my boss, which I shall not comment further.

Today was the best day of internship so far, TGIF. All 6 of us are finally reunited after days of separation due to undertaking of different projects. The whole day was filled with nonsense. Playing CS during our breaks, and psycho-ing the manly boys to try the Bear Bites burger were just small bites of happiness.

Group selfie with our cute bear burgers

Bear Bites is a Taiwan themed fast food located at the ground floor of Scape. The printed paws on the burger buns made it unique. In addition, you get to choose the flavor of the bun that varies from squid ink to yam to strawberry. They also have different sauces to choose from, including tartare sauce and thai chilli. The fries that came along with the set was also hand-cut. They are similar to Mos burger fries as they are chunky and nicely fried:) Food was awesome, not to mention that the company we enjoyed which was even awesome-er. Good food=happy us :P

I thought the kbox session after work with my fellow comrades is a great end to the frustrating week. But rainbow appears after rainy weather. I received an email informing me that I have clinched the tuition assignment (despite screwing up my interview). Really thankful for such a wonderful Friday. The funny clique, the nice food, the golden opportunity. If not for my army of crazy peeps, I would have quit long ago. Looking forward to 15 more days of craziness with you guys:) Guess I'll really miss their randomness and bromance after this internship:(

Happy 21st to my high frequency gal Jops:) : The Little Diner

Just 2 months ago we were at PoTeaTo celebrating my 21st and in a flash, it's Jops 21st:) Scary how fast time travels, nonetheless I had a great night catching up with my beloved friend:) We chose this cozy little place called The Little Diner. It is located along Bukit Timah Dunearn Road. Funny how we didnt know of this place back in NJ days.

The place has a very old feel, with little furnishing except for blackboards at the sides showing the menu for the day. However the tables were nicely decorated. If you make a reservation beforehand, they will specially hand-write your reservation card on the table. That's so sweet of them. The service staff were also very approachable and friendly and makes you feel really at home. One of the best service I have ever received I must say.

Special request to write the note on the reservation card

We ordered the Truffle Fries, Old-Fashioned Mac and Cheese (+bacon bits), Risotto balls and Apple Crumble. When the truffle fries came, the smell of truffle oil was overwhelming. It was handcut and every single piece of fries was heavily coated with the taste of truffle oil. Good recommendation BUT it's for sharing:D The Mac and Cheese, seemingly suitable for portion of 1, will get too cheesy after a while, so make sure to share it! But it was really a good choice because I love the top crispy cheese layer:P The risotto balls were deep fried on the outside, but inside there is a layer of mozerella, centre filled with risotto. Interesting combination of ingredients, but not exactly superb. The apple crumble put a nice end to the meal, with its base lined with apple wedges that perfectly complemented the vanilla ice cream. I like the crumbs (as always):P

For the service and nice ambience of the place, it was really a great location for catching up session with friends:)
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Really grateful how this birthday girl always makes an attempt to catch up with me despite her busy schedule. She had a long hard day at work, and having to travel all the way to Bukit Timah is super tiring especially after work. Yet she set aside time for me to update me on her life. It's really friends like these whom you know you want to keep for the rest of your life. As I always say, people who want to be part of your life will always make an effort to do so. Even a simple text message is a sign of putting in that extra effort of maintaining a friendship. Is it really that hard to maintain a friendship in spite of heaps of school work, work and CCAs? Time management and geographical boundaries are issues, but should never be barriers hindering a friendship. Thank you friends for constantly making the effort to keep in touch with me even though I may be slow in replies or unable to meetup:)

Happy Birthday once again Jops. I'm really glad to have met you in NJ <3

[REBLOG] 22 things I learned by 22

22 Things I Learned by 22

1. When wearing new shoes out for the first time, always pack bandages. No matter how comfortable you think the shoes are.
2. Take your friends out when they’re feeling glum.
3. Make frequent plans with anyone you’d regret not seeing more of if they died tomorrow. Your family, your friends – anyone you love.
4. Always forgive. But don’t be afraid to stop spending time with people who consistently hurt you.
5. Eat a meal before a night of drinking if you don’t want to become best friends with the toilet the next morning.
6. Tell people all the nice things you think about them. Too often we forget to say these things out loud.
7. Pay your bills as soon as you get them. (If at all possible.)
8. Look at yourself in the mirror and imagine what 80-year-old you would say about how beautiful you look now.
9. Eat dessert.
10. Don’t be afraid to be the person who cares more.
11. Make the grand gesture.
12. Don’t buy clothes that don’t currently fit you.
13. If you always feel worse about yourself after spending time with someone, stop spending time with them.
14. Pay attention to how your friends behave when you achieve success. The real ones will celebrate your successes with you and share in your failures.
15. Learn how to do handy things, like fix toilets and change lightbulbs by yourself. Being self-sufficient is not gender specific.
16. Smile at anyone who is serving you, be polite, and tip well.
17. Do not give any one person the power to destroy you.
18. Never stop learning.
19. Read, read, read.
20. It’s okay to cancel on group plans if you don’t feel like going, but cancelling a one-on-one last minute is inconsiderate.
21. Don’t wait to wear things when you reach a certain weight. You can wear whatever style you like now. Right now. 
22. Allow yourself to look silly, whether on purpose or by accident. Life isn’t a beauty pageant. 

Credits: http://saradujour.me/post/86470447575/22-things-i-learned-by-22#.U37iYPldXDY

TGIF

Even though during school holidays which calendar day of the week doesn't matter, I'm still glad how well I managed to spend my Friday:)

Went to Five and Dime with Nigel today! It was a really nice place that was a standalone along the road. Because of its simple white building with black words, it stood out among the shophouses. The interior was quite nicely decorated with blackboards and menu written on them (seems like it's the norm nowadays, even EWF also uses this deco method:P)

Ordered the Big Brekkie ($22) and Eggs Benny ($16). The Eggs Benny comes along with roasted potatoes and fruit salad. The roasted potatoes were nice with a slightly salty crust, that comes as a healthier and newer alternative to typical fries or wedges, think it's the best item in the entire plate:P The eggs benny were abit disappointing though as it was slightly overcooked on the sides. The taste of thyme/basil or whatever herb (:P) was too overwhelming too, hence making the hollandaise sauce pale in comparison to other places'. But I'm really glad the awesome company I had made up for it. It was really great being able to talk at lengths about absolutely everything and anything under the sun. Life is a funny thing, how people get to know each other through random events. If not for his random passing remark made during Chingay which he subsequently apologised for because of his ignorance, we became good friends and started talking thereafter. I'm thankful for what fate and affinity has done, inserting all these awesome people into my life and making every page of my life a fun-filled and happy one:)

Really felt sorry for having to rush off for my Sony interview>.< Following which was my chill-day with my lovely parents <3 Fruitful shopping trip as all of us managed to buy something at Bugis, especially my dad who hates shopping but surprisingly he suggested this Bugis shopping trip as he wanted to fill his wardrobe:) Supper at Wo Ai Tai Mei, their all time favorite which left me feeling sinful but delighted because of quality time spent with my precious family, doing our favorite activity and eating our favorite food:)

Simple it may seem, but it's all these random small chilling sessions that I treasure deeply. These few hours of time may not seem alot, but believe me, the happiness brought to the people is etched deeply in the hearts. I know my parents will share how they spent their Friday (shopping in Bugis, eating the Taiwan food) with their colleagues and friends proudly and I am proud to say that I'm part of the memory:)

Every long journey starts with a small step

Confession

I know I am not an expressive person but since I can't put it across verbally I shall just put it in words.

To my mum:

You've been a great mother. I know I'm not an expressive person. I don't say "I love you". I don't kiss or hug you. I shun away from body contacts. I don't hold your hands in public. But I still love you deep in my heart. 

I have a bad temper. I throw tantrums easily. I get angst easily and dao your questions. I am a very kaopei self and am very crude at times. But you relentlessly comforted me when I'm down, cheered me up with chocolates, asked me if I'm coping well, ensured that everything is in order for me, brought me out for good food and paid for all my shopping stuffs when I'm feeling stressed or down. You texted me that no matter what happens or what grades I get I will still be your beloved daughter. You showed support for my cafe entrepreneurial idea despite it being so farfetched and ridiculous. Despite me putting in so little appreciation, you patiently selflessly gave in all your care and concern and love for me. I really feel guilty for this. People keep saying I'm a filial daughter who's sweet etc. But it's not enough. Nothing is ever enough to repay all the welfare and love you've given me. It's more than anything on the world. When I asked what present you want you said you just want me to be happy. I'm more than happy. I'm happy. I'm blessed. I'm loved. I'm grateful. I'm guilty. 

Thank you mum for your everlasting support and love:) It really means alot to have someone always there for me, supporting me, listening to me, going out with me. I love you mum <3

Mother is a child's best friend (father also:P)

Happy Mother's Day

11 May 2014 Sunday: Mothers' Day

As promised, I woke at 8am to specially prepare brekkie for mum on this special day:) Went to buy groceries early in the morning. It really feels refreshing going to an empty supermarket on a cheery Sunday morning  knowing that you're doing something special for special people in your life:) The blissful feeling is great, having only to worry if the menu will suit the tastebuds of my parents and if I can finish the preparation before lunchtime. 

Successful final product: Foolproof American Breakfast :D Decided that preparing breakfast for my parents will be a much better choice than material products because I really can't think of anything which they need. When I asked them what they wanted, they only replied "We want you to be happy". Touched. Blessed. Guilty. Overwhelmed. 

Dinner treat at Marche:) Simple it may be, but it's really great catching up with family and talking crap. I really love those moments when we just talk about random stuffs, rake up events from the past or just suanning each other. This beats the antisocial ambience where everyone just take out their smartphone and start playing candycrush. Really glad that exams period is over so that I can enjoy quality time with my family:)

Love while you can. Don't make excuses. Start loving and showing your love to those around you. There is no better time to love.